OUT OF MIND² ━━ Bellamy Blake

𝐗𝐈: Bloodlines

     Hannah charges at Octavia. Octavia kicks her squarely in the chest, sending the chipped woman staggering backwards. But she recovers all to quickly and Lyra remembers what Jaha had told her about the the chip ━━ There is no pain in the City of Light. Hannah charges Octavia again but Octavia ducks beneath her punch, twisting her arm unnaturally. She only has the upper hand for a heartbeat, though, because Hannah's arm rises and she strikes Octavia across the jaw. Octavia is sent staggering backwards and her hand goes for the sword sheathed across her back.

    "Octavia, don't!" Monty screams.

     Distracted by his shout, Octavia fumbles with the weapon. Hannah uses it to her advantage and drives her elbow into Octavia's abdomen once, twice, then three times, manipulating her further and further away. Caught off guard, Octavia doesn't have the time to steady herself. With a sharp shriek of pain, she tries to slam her fist into Hannah's jaw, but Hannah locks one hand around Octavia's wrist and wrenches it backwards. The raven-haired girl yelps again in agony before going sprawling across the dead leaves.

     Adrenaline explodes through Lyra's veins. Vaulting off from the hood of the rover, she sprints forwards. Slamming all of her weight into Hannah, the chipped woman is sent reeling backwards. But Lyra's victory is brief. Hannah's fist catches her in the eye. The sheer force of the strike is enough to send Lyra stumbling back. Then Hannah swipes her legs beneath Lyra's and Lyra can keep her balance no longer; she is sent tumbling to the jagged earth, palms scraping against rocks and thorns, rolling ungracefully into a crumpled heap.

     Lyra manages to lift her head. She is eagle-spread upon her back, her entire body quivering with pain. Her heart is beating erratically. She is gasping for breath when Hannah strides into her line of sight, looming dangerously overhead.

     Hannah stamps on her ribs once, then twice. Kicking Lyra in the back, she sends her rolling backwards until she's right by Octavia. Octavia is also flat on her back but now she starts to rise, only it's too late.

     Hannah pounces on her like a starved animal. Somehow she has managed to grab Octavia's sword and she forces the blade towards her throat. Entire body quivering, Octavia grasps it by the hilt, fighting to keep it from cutting into her neck. She grunts furiously as she tries to push it off from her, but it's in vain. Hannah pushes the blade closer and closer and closer.

     "No!" Lyra shrieks, rolling painfully onto her side. But Hannah slides the hilt sideways, slamming it into her cheek, and she is sent sprawling against the earth again. Blood salts her mouth.

     "Mom, what're you doing?" Monty screams from somewhere very, very close.

     Heart beating erratically, Lyra shudders. Managing to thrust herself to her stomach, she watches as Monty's features contorts with fear. Clumsily he reaches for the firearm in his waistband.

     "Please stop it!" Monty cries out. Despair claws at every word as he levels the gun. "Mom! Don't make me do this!"

     Hannah only drives the sword deeper. It hovers dangerously close to Octavia's throat now. Just one more heartbeat and it would slice clean through it ━━

     Monty cries out fiercely. The gun fires. Hannah doesn't even flinch as the bullet embeds itself into her shoulder with a sickening thunk. There is no pain in the City of Light ━━ she didn't feel it. The tip of the sword catches Lyra in the cheek, slicing easily through the flesh and she lets out a terrified shriek.